Do you really need a surge protector?

A surge protector is a device that is used to protect your expensive electronic devices from the damage caused by the voltage surges. Call Electrician Bothell for installation of surge protector for your home.

How does it work?

When the voltage in your home increases beyond the normal it is called a voltage surge. Voltage surge heats up the wire and burns it. It also damages your appliances. The surge protector works to detect and control this voltage surge. It detects the high voltage and deviates this excess electricity in grounding wire. It’s important to plug in your surge protector to a grounded outlet.

What causes voltage surges?

We all know that lightning causes the power surges but it is not the sole reason for voltage spikes. Electrical devices that consume too much of power are also responsible for the voltage surge. When these devices are turned on, they drain a lot of electricity which causes the surges. You must have noticed the flicker in your lights when any big appliance that consumes a lot of energy is turned on or off.

When and where to use a surge protector?

Voltage surges are not predictable so it’s important that you use a surge protector all the time. The surge protector should be used for the expensive appliances like computer, televisions etc. A surge protector is also helpful in organizing the wires clutter. This organization will make your cables easy to handle.

How to find a right surge protector for your home?

Most of the people lack the knowledge of the surge protectors, so it is imperative that you gain little information before buying one. There are few of the features that you should be looking for while buying a surge protector:

Indicator lights – It’s not always the appliances that can get damaged by the voltage surge, sometimes a surge protector can also be damaged. If there is an indicator light on it, it gets easier to detect the faulty surge protector. Using a faulty surge protector will risk your expensive appliances.​​

Joule rating – This is the measure of the maximum amount of the voltage that a surge protector can divert. Voltage surge beyond that level will make the surge protector useless. The higher the joule rating, the more is the capacity of a surge protector to divert the energy. A surge protector with a joule rating of at least 600 should be used for the home.

UL rating – This is a rating given by the underwriter’s laboratories in order to test the safety of electrical devices. Always choose a surge protector with good UL rating.

Action time- A surge protector should not take too long to respond to the voltage surges. A surge protector having fast response time will expose your appliances to voltage surges for less duration. It’s best to get a surge protector with response time less than 1 nanosecond.

Clamping voltage – A surge protector with low clamping voltage will set off earlier in comparison to the protectors having high clamping voltage. Clamping voltage is the amount of voltage on which your surge protector will trigger off. Lower clamping voltage is good to keep your appliances safe.

A number of ports– Surge protectors come with varying number of ports. Some have six or eight ports and others have as many as twelve ports. Check your requirement and then buy one which is suitable to your needs.

Warranty- There are few manufacturers who offer the warranty for the devices connected to their surge protectors. If any damage is done or the surge protector fails to function properly, you can file a claim against the damage occurred.